


She's Attending This With Me

by sophiasage



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: F/M, Getting Back Together, Light Angst, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-27 07:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16697842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophiasage/pseuds/sophiasage
Summary: A retelling of episode eight, "Princess Prom", from the perspectives of Mermista and Seahawk.





	She's Attending This With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first ever published fic, so any comments/suggestions are totally welcome! This story is canon-compliant, but since not much information has been released, I took a lot of liberties. This fic also serves as an intro for my [other Seamista fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17356481/chapters/40838546), which is about Mermista and Seahawk's backstory before the rebellion. You can find me on tumblr [@pinkcartoon](https://pinkcartoon.tumblr.com/)!

Seahawk didn't want to admit it, but he was lonely. So lonely, in fact, that the day three strangers got him involved in a fight against the Horde and became his new crew was the most excitement he'd had in a long time. Well, excitement that he didn't create himself; setting his own ships on fire belonged to the latter. 

"Hey, Seahawk!"

Seahawk's attention was ripped from his thoughts as he looked up from the booth in the corner of the tavern where he had been sitting. His gaze instead fell across the room to a large pirate shouting his name near the front door. 

"Got a letter for you!", the pirate shouted as he approached the corner booth.

"My," Seahawk squealed as he drummed his fingers against the table, "I wonder who could be writing to old Seahawk here?"

As the other pirate dropped the blue envelope embellished with the official crest of Salineas, it became apparent.

_Seahawk,_  
The All Princess Ball is next week. I need a ride. I'm wearing turquoise and navy. Pick me up by the seagate.  
Mermista 

Seahawk chuckled to himself. Leave it to Mermista to make the once-every-decade, centuries-old, incredibly-important event sound like nothing more than one of the old pirate shindigs they used to go to. But he knew how much it meant to her if she used the official Salineas crest and gave him a dress code. Still, with only a week’s notice, he had to start preparing fast. Getting a pen and paper out of his pocket, he began drafting a request to Salineas’s guard-turned-tailor that he knew would be designing Mermista’s outfit. They had to match if they were going to be dates, after all. 

-

It was the night of the Princess Ball, and Mermista was waiting against the entryway of the seagate, fiddling with the homemade corsage in her hands. She couldn’t believe she swam all the way to a rare underwater garden to pick that blue flower just for _him_. What if he didn’t even show up? Ugh, she felt so stupid waiting like this. She knew in her head he would be there, but part of her worried that Seahawk might not show up after all. 

After her parents died and most of the Salineas Navy was defeated, Seahawk was the only person she had left, save for a few guards she was never close to. However, after the war, their relationship was never quite what it used to be. No longer could they just be teenagers attending carnivals, sneaking rum, and sailing wherever they pleased. Mermista had a kingdom to run now. And this ball was just another necessary function of being a princess.

“Princess Mermista, the pirate is here”, a guard chimed in from his station near the entrance of the gate.

“Thank you guard,” Mermista replied. Some might have found it rude to refer to loyal castle staff as only ‘guard’ or ‘butler’, but Mermista had learned names before, only to never use them again after they didn’t return from battle. She didn’t want to get attached like that anymore.

The guard opened the massive gate and Mermista was faced with what first looked like the familiar boat she had given to Seahawk, but upon closer inspection, she could see the ship was now draped with blue streamers and a large banner on the main mast reading, ‘ _I shore can’t sea myself without you. Prom?_ ’ She groaned internally. 

“So, you like it?”, a voice chimed in from beside her.

Mermista rolled her eyes and looked at Seahawk, “I already asked _you_ to the ball. You can’t ask me. That’s not how it works.” 

When she saw Seahawk’s childish grin still hadn’t faltered, she added, “Besides, it’s not actually prom. It’s just dumb diplomatic stuff.”

“Well”, Seahawk said, putting his arm around Mermista, “we never really went to an actual prom before. Remember? We ditched Salineas prom to hang out at the eastern sea stacks.”

Mermista blushed and looked away. He was always doing this- trying to bring up things from the past that didn’t have any place in their situation today. But she wouldn’t let it distract her.

“Whatever”, she said, handing him the corsage. “Put this on.”

Seahawk gasped, “You made this for me? Aww, Mermista-”

Before he could make her any more embarrassed than she already was, she interrupted, “Let’s just go. And take down that stupid banner.”

“Anything for you, my princess,” Seahawk said with a wink as he helped her onto the ship.

-

As Mermista and Seahawk approached the looming ice castle of the Kingdom of Snows, they were temporarily distracted by the magnificent structures and the hundreds of people teeming about. For a moment, Mermista didn’t even notice Seahawk’s hand had slipped into hers. She quickly pulled away.

“I have to go greet the hostess,” Mermista said, starting to walk up to where Princess Frosta sat on her throne.

Not one to be left behind, Seahawk put an arm around her waist and replied, “Excellent. Let’s go!”

“No, _I_ have to greet the hostess”, Mermista said, lightly shoving Seahawk away. “You should go entertain yourself somewhere. I have, like, a reputation to maintain.”

“Very well”, Seahawk said with a smile, trying not to let his disappointment show. “I’ll go… entertain myself.” But Mermista was already walking away.

-

When Mermista turned back to the party from where she had been greeting Frosta, she looked around to where she last left Seahawk, but couldn’t find him. It was unfair to expect him to just wait for her, she knew, but she couldn’t help feel a tinge of disappointment, especially since he was the only person she really knew there. 

At least, she thought he was the only person she knew. Scanning the throngs of people, she noticed some familiar faces- Princess Glimmer of Brightmoon, Princess Entrapta of Dril, and She-Ra, or Adora, who Mermista may or may not have found undeniably attractive as an eight-foot-tall warrior lady when she saved Salineas from the Horde. 

“Hey, I’m here too,” Mermista said in her characteristic deadpan expression as she approached her new friends. “Don’t make a big thing out of it.”

It was if they hadn’t even heard her. Glimmer continued freaking out about Bow showing up with another princess and Entrapta continued speaking into her recorder as if she was making a nature documentary. It was obvious none of them were going to make conversation with her, so she started to ask them if they’d seen the one person she knew would pay attention to her. 

“Look, have you seen-”

But Mermista’s question was answered for her when Seahawk emerged from who-knows-where singing, “She’s a beauty, can’t you see? She’s attending this with me. She’s my princess of the sea. Mermista!”

-

After shaking off Adora’s knowing look and insisting that Seahawk was _just her ride_ , Mermista left for the buffet, Seahawk right behind her. 

“What was that about?”, she asked him once they were out of earshot.

“What?”, Seahawk asked, feigning innocence. “I was entertaining myself, just like you told me.”

Mermista rolled her eyes, “Ugh, are you seriously upset about that?”

“No, I’m not upset,” Seahawk’s sighed, his voice taking on a more somber tone. “But sometimes… I just wish we could go back to how things were. And I wish you'd stop pretending you don’t care about me.”

Mermista said nothing, choosing to only glare down at the floor while Seahawk continued.

“I know it’s all a facade”, he said. “Our new friends over there know it too. You gave me a ship. You invited me as your plus-one. You made me this corsage.”

At that, he held up his wrist displaying the delicate blue flower that just so happened to match Mermista’s earrings. “Tell me I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, and you truly want nothing to do with me anymore, tell me.”

Mermista crossed her arms and looked anywhere but at Seahawk. A moment passed, and still looking away, Mermista mumbled, “You’re not wrong.”

Seahawk wasn’t sure he heard her properly. “What was that?”, he asked. 

She rolled her eyes again and finally, with a bit too much force, answered, “You’re not wrong!” 

It came out louder than she expected, but thankfully everyone else at the ball was engrossed in their own conversations and paid them no mind.

Seahawk didn’t say anything, so Mermista finally looked him in the eye. She sighed and repeated, quieter this time, “You’re not wrong. Okay?”

She expected him to make some arrogant comment or burst into song, but he just smiled softly at her and said, “Good.”

It was then that Princess Frosta dimmed the lights and declared, “It is my solemn duty as hostess to now announce, it is time for the first dance of the ball.” Music began playing and people all around them started rushing to the dance floor.

Seahawk held out his hand to Mermista. “May I have this dance?”, he asked.

“Ugh, don’t be cheesy”, she replied, but her actions contradicted the iciness of her words. She blushed and put her hand into his, letting him lead her to the dance floor. 

The music was slow and melodic, and Mermista let herself fall into Seahawk’s embrace as they danced. She supposed a part of her really wanted this all along; she didn’t want the ball to just be another boring diplomatic function. She wanted to be with Seahawk. So then why couldn’t she show it?

“I don’t know if I’ve said it already,” Seahawk began, bringing Mermista’s thoughts back to the present moment, “but thank you for inviting me.”

“Yeah, it’s whatever. No big deal.”

“Oh, come on,” Seahawk admonished, twirling her around in time with the music. “It’s not ‘no big deal’”.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Mermista sighed, “Let’s just dance.”

Mermista had a lot on her mind, and right then, all she wanted was to be held while she sorted through everything. Ugh, when did she get this sentimental? As the soft music played around them, she let her mind wander. 

Two years had passed since the first war against the Horde that took the lives of many, including King Micah of Brightmoon as well as her parents, the King and Queen of Salineas, forcing Mermista to step up and become the new ruler. Mermista remembered the times when she used to be fun-loving and adventurous, running off with Seahawk to explore the far reaches of the sea or just pulling immature pranks on unsuspecting pirates. But after the war, she adopted a closed-off sarcastic exterior; she didn't consciously mean to, it just sort of happened. After losing her parents and much of her kingdom, she didn't want to get close to people again. As for Seahawk, he was a reminder of a painful past that she knew she’d never be able to go back to, no matter how much she wanted it. At least, that’s what her general philosophy _had_ been. Joining the rebellion and carrying on her parents' legacy made her question if forgetting the past was really the best thing. And if she could come to terms with her past, maybe she could let herself get close to Seahawk again. 

As they danced through the ballroom, and Mermista breathed in the familiar saltwater that had always stained Seahawk’s skin, she thought to herself, ‘Huh. Maybe this isn't so bad.’

-

Seahawk knew that the war changed Mermista. It made her grow up too fast and take on too much responsibility. To cope with that, she started pretending like she didn't care about anything- including him. But he knew the truth. To the outside world, she'd push him away and call him ‘annoying’, yet he remained the first person on her mind. Maybe she didn't say it, but actions spoke louder than words, as people say.

She was the first person on his mind as well. That's why, when a loud crash resounded through the ballroom and the music abruptly stopped, his first instinct wasn't to shout ‘Adventure!’ and run toward the noise, but rather to make sure Mermista was safe. 

Seahawk reflexively put his arm around her as everyone turned toward the source of the noise- his friend and crewmate Adora fighting the cat-like Horde soldier that had tried to attack Salineas just the other week. It seemed like the whole room stood frozen as Princess Frosta separated them and encased Adora in ice. 

But just as the action was starting to die down, an ear-splitting explosion came from the roof of the castle. Seahawk tightened his hold around Mermista, and she moved closer to him as they looked up at the ice ceiling falling down around them like an avalanche. The ball descended into chaos. All around them, guests were fleeing for the exits.

“Come on Mermista,” Seahawk urged her when she wouldn’t move, “We have to go.”

But she didn’t budge. She only held onto his arm tighter.

“Mermista!”, he shouted, trying again to get her attention. They were standing still while the crowds rushed around them, surrounding them in a chaotic blur. If they were going to make it out, they had to move! Then Seahawk thought of something that would surely make Mermista listen to him. 

“Misty.”

Finally, at the sound of the old nickname she hadn’t used in years, Mermista looked up at Seahawk. They locked eyes for a moment until an even louder rumbling brought their gaze up to the ceiling. By then, it was too late to run for cover. They held onto each other and accepted whatever might come next.

But as they braced for the inevitable, the blocks of ice that would have crushed them were instead enveloped in a blue glow and floated towards the top of the castle where Frosta stood harnessing her ice powers. 

-

When it was clear they were no longer in imminent danger, Mermista let go of Seahawk and tried to regain her composure. However, it was obvious Seahawk was still worried. 

“Misty-”, he started.

“Don’t call me that”, Mermista interrupted.

“Fine. Sorry,” Seahawk continued. “But what was that back there?”

She crossed her arms and looked away.

“Come on, Mermista,” Seahawk prodded. “You’ve spoken to me more tonight than you have in the past year. What’s wrong?”

She grabbed his arm and led him away from the chaos of the ballroom to a balcony devoid of people. They shut the doors and looked out at the icy expanse of snow in silence, letting the crisp night air and sounds of nature encircle them before Mermista spoke again. 

“I was in the castle,” she started, looking straight ahead with her elbows on the balcony rail. “In Salineas. Back when the Horde attacked my parents… It felt just like tonight.”

Seahawk turned to look at her and opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped and looked out past the balcony again. Just when Mermista thought he had decided to let it go, he turned back to her and enveloped her in a hug. Not a theatrical display or a show of pity, just an assuring embrace that meant ‘I’m here.’

Mermista let herself lean into him, not unlike when they were dancing just a moment ago, but this time there was no one else around. She didn’t have anything to prove or anyone to put up a front for. 

-

After awhile, she decided she had enough of this sappiness for one night. She gently pulled away and laughed, “This is a pretty grand display from a man who’ll jump into my arms at any given opportunity.”

Seahawk laughed, “Well, you do have abnormally strong arms.”

“You’re damn right I do,” Mermista shot back. “Remember when we first met and you tried to challenge me to an arm wrestling match?”

For the rest of the night, they laughed and talked about all the old memories Mermista had tried to push out of her mind. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss hanging out with Seahawk like this. Mermista knew it would take time to build their relationship back up to what it once was, but she was willing to put in the effort. That is, as long as Seahawk promised to never say a word to the other princesses- they would never let her hear the end of it.

-

Mermista and Seahawk were having such a good time just being in each other’s company that they completely forgot about the failed prom right inside the balcony doors.

“We should, like, maybe go check on our friends”, Mermista said.

“Oh, they’re probably fine. It’s not like they could have been captured by the Horde or anything… Right?”, Seahawk replied tentatively. 

They looked at each other in horror and ran back into the castle.


End file.
